Arsenal may have a secret weapon in the race to sign Xavi Simons this summer thanks to Andrea Berta's latest transfer decision. The RB Leipzig star could be on the move this window despite joining the German side permanently in January.
Simons has been a name continuously linked with a move to Emirates Stadium since his breakthrough season at PSV Eindhoven. In his solo year in the Netherlands, the playmaker scored 22 goals and registered a further 11 assists.
The 22-year-old moved to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2023 before immediately joining RB Leipzig on loan. Last January, he completed a £41.8 million switch to the German side but could now depart.
Leipzig missed out on European football last season and are facing the prospect of losing some of their better players. Alongside Simons, Arsenal-linked Benjamin Sesko is also expected to be sold.
Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Manchester United have all been linked with a move for the Netherlands international. Arsenal are also thought to be considering a move amid Mikel Arteta's bid to improve his attack.
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Reports from BILD in Germany have claimed that Simons favours a move to the Premier League. It's understood that Leipzig want as much as the £41m they paid for him, making him available for less than Eberechi Eze's £68m release clause.
However, Arsenal now have a secret weapon on their hands which could see them beat Chelsea and Barcelona to the signing of Simons. On Friday, the club confirmed the signing of Noni Madueke, their fourth arrival of the summer, to bolster their wide attacking options.
Noni Madueke and Xavi Simons
Noni Madueke played with Xavi Simons at PSV Eindhoven (Image: Getty Images)
The forward previously played at PSV alongside Simons before the pair went their separate ways. Madueke left the Dutch giants halfway through Simons' only season to join Chelsea but the pair built a good attacking relationship alongside Cody Gakpo.
It remains to be seen whether Arsenal will move for Simons. Once Viktor Gyokeres' deal is wrapped-up, Berta is expected to prioritise another attacking creator with Eze and Real Madrid's Rodrygo previously linked.
"I'm somebody who goes with my gut feeling a lot of the time and I feel like it's steered me in the right direction so far," Madueke said of his move to Arsenal. "So, I don't think it's going to be any different here. I think it's going to be a great success and I'm really happy to be here.
"I've just been relaxed, waiting for the green light and when I came in today, it all felt real. I'm really happy and really proud, so it's a great moment for me.
"It's already a great team with a clear identity and I can't wait to bring my style to the team and try and help the boys as much as possible to take that next step. (I want) to win all the competitions we're in, I feel like we're definitely capable of doing that."
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Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus with the Arsenal Therapy Dog Win during the Arsenal Men's team group shoot at London Colney on September 18, 2023
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